The Medici return

Berry's scorching latest thriller featuring Cotton Malone (after The Atlas Maneuver) finds the retired U.S. Justice Department operative once again battling violent men over events in the distant past. After a dozen years with the government, Malone has started a new life as a bookstore owner. But he's drawn back into the fray by his former handler, Stephanie Nelle, after the Vatican is roiled by a scandal: a church official on trial for embezzlement and theft has implicated Cardinal Jason Richter--a close friend of the current pope, who will help select his successor--in his schemes. Malone breaks into Richter's home and verifies that he's in possession of stolen items, but suspects the cardinal has been framed. The plot thickens when right-wing Italian politician Eric Casaburi claims the Vatican owes him hundreds of billions of euros as a descendant of the Medici family, whose members, centuries earlier, bailed out the church with a sizeable loan guaranteed by the Pledge of Christ. Malone joins church officials on a dangerous search for that rarely issued promissory note. The plot offers few surprises, but series fans are likely to stick it out for the fast-paced, well-oiled action. This may not be top-shelf Berry, but it gets the job done. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Feb.)